Something for the Rest of Us
by heyitskristi
Summary: Oneshot. Eugene can't help but feel that Rapunzel isn't as happy as she's making people believe.


**This oneshot was** **inspired by** the song "Something for the Rest of Us" by the Goo Goo Dolls, hence the title. This one is a little angsty, a little hurt/comfort, so it is separate from my _Little Victories_ series.

**Something for the Rest of Us**

He watched her for the first few weeks in her new life. She always had a smile on her face for everyone. Her parents, the servants, the visiting diplomats, Pascal, and him. The smile was different for different people. Her parents got a smile that showed something like relief. She smiled toothily for them and it went to her eyes. The servants received genuinely grateful, close-lipped smiles. The diplomats got welcoming, polite smiles. Pascal got smiles nearly all the time, cute little smiles that showed trust and friendship. The smiles she gave him were almost nervous. She looked so worried when she smiled at him, as if wondering why he wasn't gone by now.

It made him sad to see her smiles. He didn't know why, but something about her just seemed so sad. She should be ecstatic, overflowing with happiness. After a while, he wasn't sad anymore – he was annoyed. When he asked how she was feeling, she just said "Wonderful!" but he could tell that wasn't the truth.

So he continued to watch her, wondering when she would break down. Experience taught him it was bound to happen eventually. He'd be there in a matter of seconds when it did. He never let her get very far away from him.

But while he was watching her, the palace guards were watching him. He didn't recall a single moment since he came to the castle when he didn't sense someone watching him. So he kept his distance. She was a princess, after all. It didn't matter what he had planned for them in that boat on her birthday. He was going to forget the private island and keep her beside him forever, out of her mother's overprotective grasp. He'd never imagined she could be the lost princess. Now it was like she was back in that godforsaken tower again. Unreachable, but so close.

Two weeks after she returned, her parents asked to meet him privately. She glanced between them, worried, but he agreed – "Yes, your majesties." – and finished the rest of the meal silently. She made up for the awkward silence by asking her parents for paint.

"You need a canvas, too," her mother responded. "And an easel. We will send out for one immediately."

Rapunzel had never heard of a canvas – or an easel, for that matter – so the rest of the meal was spent teaching her about different paints, brushes, canvases, and other artists' tools. She seemed excited then, and he felt relief.

He went to the meeting expecting to be thrown out of the castle and out of Rapunzel's life. She walked him to the throne room, where her parents had told him to meet them, and hugged him before he went in. He held her longer than necessary, memorizing the way her body felt against his for future reference.

Inside, her parents were standing in front of her crown, which was resting on its pedestal. He walked only halfway into the room, stopping to bow.

"Do you know why you are here, Flynn Rider?" the Queen asked.

He cleared his throat and somehow managed to say, "No, your majesty."

The King spoke, his deep voice echoing in the large room. "You are not Flynn Rider, though. Our daughter calls you Eugene."

"Yes, your majesty. Eugene is my real name. Eugene Fitzherbert. Flynn Rider is just an alias."

"We know how you found Rapunzel, but we do not know much of you before that. Please indulge us," the Queen requested. "Maybe then we can feel more secure about you staying here in the castle."

Eugene frowned, trying to think of a place to start that would help him be able to stay with Rapunzel. "I grew up in an orphanage. I was abandoned there as a newborn and I never knew my parents. All I knew was that orphanage. Soon, I was the oldest kid, and I looked after the others."

"You were just a child yourself," the Queen interrupted.

"Our caretaker was very old. She did the best she could with what she had." Eugene felt like he had to defend the old woman who had raised him. "When she died, the orphanage was taken over, and I ran away."

The King spoke this time. "And how old were you then?"

"I was fifteen, your majesty. I didn't know any trades and I didn't have to connections to become an apprentice. So I did what I could to survive – I stole. At first it was just food, but I kept thinking about Flynnigan Rider."

"The storybook hero?" the King asked.

"Uh, yes. When I was desperate, I thought about those books and imagined never being cold or hungry again."

The Queen shook her head. "I am sorry for the trials you have gone through. You don't need to say anymore. I am still very grateful that you have returned my daughter to me, however accidental it might have been."

"Thank you, your majesty." Eugene bowed again, but the Queen stopped him.

"Please do not bow to us. We are the ones who should bow to you, who died for our daughter's freedom." Eugene watched in disbelief as the Queen looked at her husband, who nodded in response to her silent command. They moved to stand before him. It was all Eugene could do not to freak out as the king and queen of his kingdom bowed to him. When they rose, the Queen said, "Eugene Fitzherbert, you are officially pardoned for past crimes against this kingdom."

"The promised reward for the return of the princess is one hundred thousand crowns. My advisor is gathering this reward as we speak." The King signaled to a servant who had just come in.

"No, no, no, no." Eugene held up his hands in front of him. "I can't accept that. The pardoning thing was good enough for me."

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "Are you refusing?"

Eugene cleared his throat again and sheepishly said, "Well, yes. Yes I am."

This time the Queen smiled. "I told you he wouldn't accept it," she said to the King, elbowing his arm.

The King sighed. "And you were right, like always."

"Huh? So there was no reward?" Eugene asked. Well, Flynn Rider asked.

"Oh, there was a reward. But I never thought you would take it. I knew from the moment I saw your face on that balcony that you were in love with my daughter." The Queen crossed her arms smugly. "Her father, though, didn't believe me."

"Well, I've had to deal with this kid for years, always stealing and wreaking havoc on the townspeople. How was I to know he had reformed himself? And anyway, the money will go to the orphanages, then."

As the King and Queen fought back and forth, Eugene stood there with his mouth agape.

_In love? With Rapunzel?_

He was still in shock when he left the throne room and almost didn't notice Rapunzel standing by the doors until he nearly knocked her over.

"Eugene!" she exclaimed. "How did it go? What happened? Can you stay?"

"Huh?" He looked around but couldn't really focus on anything. She grabbed his shoulders to keep him from falling over.

"Eugene? Why are you freaking out? They're making you leave aren't they?" She was babbling, but she couldn't help it. "Well, I'll go talk to them. Because I am not staying here if you can't."

He recovered at that comment. "No, I can stay. It's nothing."

She frowned at him, not really believing it. But then she smiled – that sad smile – and said, "Well, if you're sure."

He rubbed her head playfully. "I'm sure. Shouldn't you be learning how to curtsy or something like that?"

She blushed and absentmindedly fixed her hair. "I skipped my lesson. My tutor will be so mad!"

"Well, he seems like the kind of person who can be persuaded to 'forget' things easily. Let's go see if I'm right."

_I can't be in love with her. I've only known her two weeks. It's impossible to fall in love so quickly._

A door opening woke him up from a deep slumber the next week. He didn't have to open his eyes to know it was Rapunzel, so he just waited for her to say something. Instead of speaking, though, she surprised him by getting into the bed with him. He said her name as he opened his eyes. She curled up against him, grabbing the fabric of his sleep clothes and pressing her face against his chest. He could feel her tears soak his shirt and immediately he forgot about decency and the fact that he could be killed if someone found the unmarried princess in bed with him.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. She didn't respond, so he wrapped an arm around her and patted her back. When she calmed down, he tried again. "Did you have a nightmare?"

She shook her head.

"Then what's wrong?"

She didn't say anything. The next thing he knew, she rose from the bed and walked towards the door, not answering when he called her name questioningly. She left the room silently. After a few minutes of stillness Eugene wondered if she'd even been there at all.

The next day, and the weeks after that, she acted like nothing had happened. He asked her everyday how she was feeling, and she always responded, "Great!" Her smiles still didn't seem completely right, and he kept watching. One day he walked in on her time with Pascal.

"I'll get over it soon, Pascal," she was saying to the chameleon in her hands.

Eugene couldn't help but interrupt. "Get over what, Blondie?"

She jumped, startling Pascal. "Nothing, Eugene. You scared me! What are you doing here?"

"It's not _nothing_, Rapunzel." He strode towards her quickly, grabbing the arms of her chair and leaning in close to her face. She watched him, eyes wide. "You're hiding something from me."

"N-no," she mumbled. He felt terrible for scaring her, but he had to know what was wrong. He relaxed a little, dropping his head to look at the floor.

"I thought when you were freed from that… that woman… that you would be happier," he said quietly. "But smiling and laughing won't fool me. I… I love you." She gasped but he didn't stop. "Now, I've never said that to anyone, and I don't think I'll be saying it again anytime soon. So –"

She stood up from her chair and pulled him into a hug. "I love you, Eugene. I love you too."

"Well, that's great, Blondie," Eugene said into her hair. "But I came to find out why you aren't telling me the truth."

She gave up. He could feel it when she relaxed against him, "Alright. I'm just feeling really lonely, you know? I'm surrounded by all these great people all the time, but I've felt so alone. I've got you, Pascal, and my parents, of course. But I haven't seen anyone from the Snuggly Duckling or even Maximus in weeks."

"You're _lonely_?" he asked incredulously. "That's easy to fix. We'll just go pay a visit."

"Really?" she breathed. "That would be wonderful."

"We'll go tomorrow," he said. He pulled apart from her and smiled. "First thing."

She couldn't contain her happiness. "Yay!"

"Has Eugene Fitzherbert come to speak to me or is it Flynn Rider?" the Queen asked, not turning from the window.

"It's Eugene, if you don't mind, your majesty." He bowed out of habit. "I was wondering if I could take Rapunzel out for the day tomorrow. She's been feeling a little down and we thought that she'd feel better if she got out for a while."

The Queen looked at him with a frown. "She's not happy?"

"Well, she's missing some friends she made on our adventure, as she calls it."

"I see. Is this trip you want to take her on… safe?"

"The new Captain of the Guard, Maximus, will take us. He is the best protection we can get."

The Queen nodded. "I suppose, if it makes her happy. I give you my permission. She told us everything about her life in that tower. Gothel left her all alone for days at a time. Imagine being a child, alone in a tower, with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company."

Eugene swallowed, closing his eyes as he imagined Rapunzel as a little girl, sitting by herself in that place. "It's a miracle she is the way she is," he said, looking again at her mother. "She's told me other things about Gothel, though. Gothel brought her presents, read her stories. It wasn't all bad."

The Queen looked angry at this at first, then saddened. "The witch is the reason why we have our Rapunzel. I suppose that's something we can thank her for."

Eugene nodded.

"I was right all those weeks ago, wasn't I? You love her. Very much."

He forgot to be embarrassed. "Yes, your majesty."

"Go to her, Eugene Fitzherbert."

So he ran.

When he found her, she was in the room she'd declared her "studio". She was sitting facing the window. An easel was set up in front of her and a table with dozens of paints sat next to her. She didn't notice him so he stood there for a moment just observing. He could see parts of the painting. She'd painted the background a mix of blues and purples. Orange and yellow splotches resembling lanterns took up most of the canvas. The lower half was unfinished. He could barely see pencil tracings of a boat with two people – him and her – inside.

He looked at her. Her head was cocked to the side as if she was thinking. She looked so lonely there.

_Gothel left her all alone for days at a time. Imagine being a child, alone in a tower, with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company._

His heart ached for her. He couldn't stand to see her so alone.

"Rapunzel."

She jumped, dropping her brush to the marble floor.

"Eugene!"

"Sorry I scared you," he said, walking over to her. "What're you painting this time?"

She smiled at him and this time there was no sadness in her eyes. "It's us."


End file.
